If any of this is wrong, let me know and I'll try to fix it, but send all complaints to google.translate. This story is VERY extensive. Great pics also (OP's link).
Another effort of the crane and ... the wings of the IL-2 have broken away from the water surface. For the first time in the last 69 years, wounded in a battle Soviet attack aircraft soared into the air! Let the ropes, though not for long, but still .... A few minutes later the car was lowered deserved to advance to the shore podstelennye tires.
- Returned! - Sigh someone standing on the shore of the crowd.
Today in the Murmansk region, near the town of Severomorsk, got out of the water bomber Il-2, a member of the Great Patriotic War in the 46th Attack Aviation Regiment, Air Force of the Northern Fleet. November 25, 1943 the aircraft made an emergency landing on the ice of Lake crooked. Since then, nearly 70 years, lay on the bottom ...
On parole and on one wing
One sortie was only a third for the pilot and the second Valentine Skopintseva for his arrow Vladimir Humenny. A group of 16 Soviet Il-2 fighter escorts raided the German airfield at Luostari. However, the enemy had time to lift into the air 25 Me-109 fighters, so a fight broke out, and on earth and in heaven.
Our pilots destroyed 23 enemy aircraft (10 - on the ground, 13 - in the air), suppressed the anti-aircraft fire six points, caused 26 fires. But the loss of Soviet aircraft were also high: 6 attack planes and 5 fighter planes did not return home. Strong went to the aircraft and Valentine Skopintseva. Riddled with anti-aircraft guns and machine-gun fire, the IL-2 to the native terminal Vaenga-2 does not have lasted a bit: the tail is almost repulsed, stalled the engine, the chassis is not issued. And then the pilot decided to land the plane on ice lake crooked. IL-2 has landed, or rather, under-ice on its belly. Skopintsev managed to get out of the plane pulled out of the blood-soaked rear cabin unconscious Vladimir Humenny and carried it to yourself to shore.
Has not yet become firmly November the ice for a long time was unable to keep the 4-ton machine, and IL-2 will soon went under water. But the crew flew for good reason: The pilot that day destroyed two aircraft on the ground and antiaircraft gun and the shooter shot down in aerial combat persecuted them "Messerschmitt".
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After the battle, the pilots encountered a bear cub
- Can you imagine what it was like my father after that meat grinder, which hit their plane? 3 kilometers to go on the ice, with a wounded comrade on his shoulders. Was dark and cold, he was wounded. Well, our airfield was near, - recalls a story his father Eugene V. Skopintseva. She arrived in the Arctic for the first time, to see how to get out of the water will be the same IL-2.
The crew survived while fighting machine, soon returned to duty. Valentin Skopintsev and Vladimir Goumenny flew together to the end of the war. Fought well, the pilot, for example, was awarded three Orders of the Red Banner and the Order of Nakhimov II degree. Valentin about the service in the North told the children frequently.
- He was offended that this period of the Great Patriotic War have paid little attention, but there was something to tell: the Allied convoys were covered, and the Germans have not admitted to Murmansk, and friends lost, - complains Eugene V.. - However, there was a place and a smile. They have a shelf at the airport polar bear lived, met the guys after departure.
Skopintsev pilot, who succeeded after the war, the steering wheel on the plane float builder, died in 1996. But his children, his father's stories have crystallized into a desire to find IL-2. The son of Oleg, by the way, the officer initiated a search for the aircraft. In the case took a research team of search and "Icarus" from the city Zaozersk. And today in the search for a set point. The plane with pontoons lifted a 17-meter depth, carefully dragged to shallow water, and then a crane pulled ashore. Help in organizing the search and recovery, and provided military historians, and the FSB and the Northern Fleet.
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Prior to the last bullet
- You can say that this IL-2 was fire and water, and copper pipes! - Said Valery Chernyshev, one of the leaders of the search group "Icarus". - Fire in the sky over Luostari, the water of the lake and copper pipes today honored the meeting.
From the flattened ground attack aircraft follows the last water, mixed with mud. By the way, silt, and contributed to the safety of the aircraft. Is in the water bath and the rear turret machine gun rusted. A fuselage, wings - well, that sucked mud - look like new. However, at a discount to the enemy fire. In the middle of the left wing of the hole with a fist the size of the flak, the entire blade - a line of holes from machine gun fire. The tail fell off altogether.
- The machine gun Vladimir Humenny one cartridge remained, until recently fired, that's why Messer shot down - said one of the searchers by moving back and forth turret. - But the Germans, too, competently shot, knew where to hit. You see, the tank landing gear is damaged, so he sat down on his belly and. Electrician, too, in the battle blown, so was unable to release Skopintsev the enemy missiles. So sit down with them. Miraculously survived the guys ...
- Nothing otrestavriruem. He's still flying will be! - Said Boris Ossetia, Russian Federation President aviarestavratorov.
Now, the IL-2 sent to Novosibirsk, where his company will restore "Aviarestavratsiya."
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BTW
More information on the fighting of the 46th Assault Regiment Northern Fleet Air Force can be read online 46shap.ru from veterans of the unit three, thankfully, still alive. This Melchenko Nikolai Mikhailovich, Mamporiya Livonia Ivanovich Tregubov Yuri Ivanovich.
<Dear Waffle/Skuzzy, insert popcorn emoticon here>
